The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-04-14
Court.H0use CONCENTRATIONS.

| Editor PALArKA NEWS:
There is much suggestion for "A con
templative mind in visit Ia the Court
| Hous" in session week; one is struck first
of all 10y the almost general desire Ia
evade jury duty shown by seemingly in
| telligent and respectable citizens. This
IL especially manifest in cases of trial for
capital offences. Ii is perhaps, not sur
prising that many should confess 10 con
scientious scruples against capital pun
ishment. bat il does seem strange to hear
men declare, that those scruples would
prevent them from finding "A verdict of
guilty, though the evidence should be-
yond doubt point to such Il verdict. and
this in spite of the fact that they would
be bound under oath to render a verdict
in accordance with the evidence. In a
few words they would rather periure
themselves, than return just verdict
They surely forget that the punishment
is none of their business, that il is pre-
scribed by the law they have sworn to
uphold. The whole duty of a iuryman
is to decide upon the innocence or guilt
of the prisoner, as shown by admitted
evidence.
Again, juror is often excused. who
happens to have heard of the case. or
casually read of il i'm the newspapers.
Such persons in answer To the question
as To whether they have formed an opin-
ion the case, will frequently answer
Yes, and not only that. but declare
that the opinion they have formed would
be strong enough to prevent their inn
partial trial of the prisoner.
Ii seems incredible that an intelligent
man should stand before his fellow-citi-
zens, and admit that common rImor or
a newspaper paragraph can so thoroughly
bias his mind, as Ia render IL impossible
for him To find n verdict in accordance
with the weight of evidence presented at
the trial. should that evidence be- in con
fiict with the rumor that came to his ears
or the paragraph he read. The fact is
borne in ON us, either that persons Of iu-
dicial minds are scarce. or liars are fire.
quent.
Ii would seem that there must be
something radically wrong. with n sys-
TEN of trial that renders il possible that
the power Of acquittal or conviction in a
capital case, should he rested in panel
of men who never read "A newspaper, or
talk over everyday happenings with
their fellow-men, and whose only quail
fication for the post is the fact that they
are unconvicted citizens.
Is an average jury of Putnam county
a body of men better fitted i'm every re-
spect or any respect, Ia weigh conflict
ing evidence. decide on the credibility ~
witnesses or split the silken hair Of legal |
than any other body of men
that could be chosen in the State?
Is it not "A fact that the average Jury
man, on "A trial for high offense. il gen
orally. if not always. AN uneducated.
half-idiotic boor, who does not under
terms employed in our language, who |
has not sense enough Ia ask the meaning
Of anything he does not understand. who |
is influenced far more by the sensational |
or sentimental fooling of a smart, dis
honest pleader, than by the brightest pha- |
lanx Of incontrovertIble facts. who is
in short one of the very worst and unre-
liable men in whose hands you could
place the power of giving life or dealing
death:
If this be 80. for Gods sake. let us stop
this mockery of justice. GRosvFNoR.